I'm in Love with the Boy Next Door
by Faolan Rei
Summary: Jean's family moves into the house down the street, and Armin's life takes a turn for the interesting. Or: That time Armin fell in love with the Boy Next Door.


So this is my very first Jearmin fanfiction, and please bear with me because I'm not sure if I did as well as I hoped. xD This is my gift fic for Tumblr user serenaatea for the Jearmin Secret Santa. Go ahead give their blog a look because they're so sweet and they have a bunch of great SnK stuff to look at.

But, without further ado, the fanfic. Please enjoy. :)

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><p>When Jean's family first moved into their small town of Shinganshina, it didn't come as much of a surprise to Armin that one of the first things Eren did was punch him in the face. Growing up around the boy like he had, Armin could tell by then when Eren would snap, and he had seen it from a mile away, especially when Jean had taken one look at Eren's younger sister, Mikasa, and promptly tried to steal a kiss. Mikasa hadn't hesitated to shove him off, of course, but Eren hadn't been happy to leave it at that.<p>

"I'm telling you, that horse face was asking for it," Eren grumbled, holding the bag of ice to his swollen face while Armin cleaned and bandaged a bloody knee. Mikasa stood in front of the stool on which Eren sat, staring at the boy with crossed arms and a look that could freeze Hell over.

"Let's forget the fact for a moment that what you did was completely idiotic," Mikasa said, glowering darkly at Eren, "but I _am_ capable of taking care of myself, Eren. I thought you knew this."

"I do!" Eren protested, wincing when the muscles in his face strained painfully. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing when some pervert tries to do something to you."

"Eren, you're ridiculous. It was just a kiss," Mikasa said with a sigh. "And you literally know nothing about him."

"I know he's a perverted horse-face, that's all I need to know," Eren said, a sneer on his bruised face that came out more like a grimace than anything.

Mikasa rolled her eyes, looking annoyed, and said, "Shut up, Eren."

Armin sighed as Eren and Mikasa continued to bicker; Mikasa trying to convince Eren that he was being foolish, and Eren trying to convince Mikasa that she needed to mind her own business and that "ugly horse face" deserved whatever came to him. Armin, gently cleaning Eren's wounds and laughing to himself at Eren and Mikasa's antics, thought silently that Jean didn't look like an ugly horse face at all. All he said, though, was, "Eren, if you don't stop fidgeting, this is going to hurt worse."

* * *

><p>"Eren, you're being ridiculous," Mikasa sighed, giving him another freshly cleaned plate to dry and put away.<p>

"The hell I am," Eren grumbled, drying the plate in a vigorous, angry way that only he could pull off. "I can't stand that horse-face trying to touch you with those pervert hands of his."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it," Mikasa sighed, dunking another dish into the warm, soapy water, "seeing as how we're dating now."

"You're _what?!_" Eren demanded loudly, nearly dropping the plate he was still in the process of drying. He was lucky their parents were out for the night, or else he would have gotten an earful from his mother about shouting in the house. "Mikasa, what the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that he's attractive and I wanted to give it a try, and I don't need your permission on who I do or don't date," Mikasa rebuked, side-eyeing him irritably.

Armin, who was watching the entire scene from the kitchen table- they had rejected his offer of help with washing the dishes, so he had elected to clean the table- had an amused, almost mischievous look dancing through his eyes as he observed the red coloring Eren's cheeks in anger. "I don't think Eren needs someone else to remind him of Jean's attractiveness," he said impishly.

Eren's cheeks colored for a very different reason then, and he whipped around with an angry, "Armin!" Mikasa snickered, and Eren pouted in that childish way he did while he put the plate in his hands back in the cupboard, his face turning almost completely red.

"I didn't know he was still straight," Armin chimed in. "I could've sworn with the way he acts around Marco that he played for the other team now."

Mikasa shrugged, pulling the plug out of the sink and letting the sudsy water run down the drain. "He told me he doesn't really have a preference for males or females."

"So what, he's bisexual?" Eren asked, raising a brow at his sister. "When did that happen?"

"What does it matter?" Mikasa shot back, leaning against the counter beside Eren while she dried her hands off on a spare towel.

"Whatever, I still say that bastard doesn't deserve you," Eren grumbled, his childish pout returning.

"And I say that's not really your choice to make," Mikasa shrugged, wandering into the living room and sitting down on the couch. "You two want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," Armin said, following Mikasa into the living room. He threw a playful grin over his shoulder at Eren as he said, "Just nothing too sad. The last thing we need is Eren bawling like a baby like he did when Bambi's mom died."

"That was one time!" Eren shouted, chasing Armin to the couch. "And I was five! You two are never going to let that go, are you?"

"Would you rather we tease you about other things?" Mikasa said stoically, watching Eren from the corner of her eye. "We could always go back to talking about Jean."

Eren sunk into the couch, his arms crossed and pout firmly planted on his face. "Just turn the movie on, already."

Armin and Mikasa laughed, watching as Eren's face once again turned red, and spent the rest of their night talking and laughing and most definitely _not_ watching the movie playing idly in the background. At one point, someone got up and made popcorn for everybody, although more of it ended up on the floor than in anybody's stomachs. Armin and Mikasa, of course, took every chance they could to make teasing remarks directed at Eren and his not so subtle attraction to Mikasa's new boyfriend, though Armin noticed that Mikasa was far more pensive than playful. Almost like she was gauging Eren's interest in Jean, trying to see just how much her brother liked the man.

So it didn't really surprise him when, a mere 5 months later, Mikasa and Jean decided to break it off. Eren seemed relieved, though not for the reasons he tried to convince everyone he was. ("Really, Mikasa, it's about time you came to your senses and realized you deserved better.") Mikasa didn't seem at all phased by this new development- though that was nothing new, since Mikasa never seemed phased by anything- but Armin could vaguely tell that she was doing what she did more for Eren's sake than anything else. He never said anything, though, and neither did she.

* * *

><p>If someone were to ask Armin when he realized he was gay, they probably wouldn't guess it was after he walked in on his best friend making out with "that horse-faced bastard" on said best friend's bed, rutting against each other and making such obscene noises that Armin had to wonder, in some distant part of his mind, whether or not it was considered sex if they were both still fully clothed. It wasn't necessarily the act itself that had him questioning his sexuality, though it certainly helped contribute to that awkward stage in Armin's life. Rather, it was the wild surge of jealousy that suddenly spiked through his entire being, leaving him with a racing heart and muddled thoughts. Because that didn't make sense, right? Sure, Armin found Jean a <em>little<em> attractive, but that was no cause for jealousy. He was being completely irrational.

But then Jean raised heavy, lust-ridden eyes to his, and there was something about that look that had shivers racing down his spine, even when the look wasn't meant for him. Warmth that he had never felt before spread and curled in his stomach, and before he knew it, he was trembling, rooted to the spot and forced to take in the entire scene with widened eyes.

Of course, it took a moment for Jean to realize just _what_ he was looking at, and when he did, he was practically flinging himself across the room, away from Eren, spewing violent profanities and clumsy apologies in a simultaneous mess that would have been comical if it were any other situation. But right then, in that moment, Armin was struggling with feelings he didn't know he had, feelings that he didn't want, and feelings that he knew he couldn't act on to find anything about the situation funny.

And then Eren was calling him, his clothes a disheveled mess and his eyes a strange mix of worried and apologetic, and suddenly Armin could only think to run; to run as far and as fast as he possibly could, and to do it immediately, lest he burst right then and there. And so he turned tail and ran, ignoring Eren and Jean's calls for him to come back, choosing instead to stumble out the door of Eren's house and down the street towards his own. It felt like he was moving in a daze the entire time, his legs heavy as if he were treading water as high as his knees, and it wasn't until what felt like an eternity later until he made it to his front door, but when he did his breaths came out in short, labored pants as if he had just run a marathon instead of the short distance from his house to Eren's. He wasted no time in storming through the heavy oak door- luckily for him, his grandfather wasn't home, or he would have had to explain the distressed state he now found himself in and he didn't want that- and up the stairs to his room, burrowing himself in a mound of blankets that he had no plans of leaving anytime soon. But even as he lay there, he couldn't calm his heart, thundering through his chest for reasons that had nothing to do with running.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand how you two are still dating," Mikasa said, bored expression on her face as she walked beside Eren and Armin on their way to school. "All you guys do is fight."<p>

"I can't explain it, Mikasa," Eren said, kicking a pebble absently. "There's just something about him, I can't get enough of it. Besides," he said, and he turned to her with a lewd grin, "fighting isn't _all_ we do together."

Mikasa made a face. "I don't need to hear about what you two do when you're alone together, thank you."

Armin walked along in silence beside his friends, picking absently at the straps of his backpack as he listened to Eren and Mikasa's banter. It had been almost a year now since Jean and Eren started dating, and pretty much everyone who knew them wondered why it hadn't happened sooner. Despite all their pointless protests, the attraction between them had been obvious in the lingering stares and the not-so-subtle flirting. It was laughable, really, how long they had kept up the ridiculous act, but everyone had their breaking point. Theirs had been the day when Connie had found them making out in the bathroom, and by then they couldn't keep denying it any longer. It all made sense, them being together. If you didn't count all of the fighting.

What didn't make sense, though, was the aching numbness that Armin felt whenever he thought of his best friend and Jean being together. He was happy for his friend, truly, but he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if Jean just looked….well, _his_ way. And then Armin would mentally berate himself for hours because he shouldn't be thinking things like that about his best friend's boyfriend. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't deny the fact that he found Jean ridiculously attractive. And he may or may not be ridiculously in love with said ridiculously attractive man.

Armin sighed audibly, and Mikasa sent him a curious stare. "Are you okay, Armin? You've been really quiet today."

He mentally shook himself, smiling reassuringly at Mikasa. "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Mikasa studied him for a moment longer, however, and Armin felt his happy demeanor start to crumble just the slightest bit. It was really unfair how effective Mikasa's stare was, but Armin had grown up around that stare. And if anyone knew how to keep up an act around Mikasa's stare, it was him.

"You know, you can tell me if something's bothering you, right?" Mikasa said, her stare still boring into him.

Armin nodded, genuinely smiling, because he knew she was right. For all her stoicism, Mikasa was actually a pretty good person to run to when you were feeling down, and Armin was grateful every day to have her as a friend.

"Hey, I'm here, too," Eren grumbled, pouting.

"Yes, but you're terrible with handling emotions," Mikasa shot back coolly as they approached the school.

"That's not true! I can be sensitive and stuff."

"Jaeger, you have all the sensitivity of a fucking rock," Jean said, wrapping his arm around Eren's shoulders and making Armin's heart skip a beat. Mikasa shot him another look, and Armin calmed his breathing just enough to make the smile he sent her way look at least a little convincing. He hoped.

Eren scowled, shoving Jean's arm off his shoulder as he walked off towards the school. "Fuck off, horse face."

Jean's booming laugh trailed behind them as he followed after Eren, and Armin didn't doubt that they would both be late to their first class. He tried to ignore the little pang in his chest at the thought, and smirked as Mikasa shook her head in exasperation.

"Those two are going to kill each other one of these days, I swear," she said, staring across the campus where they could still see Eren and Jean bickering.

"I'm sure they're not _that_ bad," Armin tried reassuring weakly, though they both knew that he didn't believe it.

"DAMN IT! Get back here, Jaeger!" Armin- and about a hundred other students, he was sure- flinched at the sound of Jean's booming scream across campus, and they both looked up to see him chasing a mischievous-looking Eren across the schoolyard.

"I take it back," Armin said with a sigh. "They're definitely going to kill each other."

* * *

><p>Armin still wasn't quite sure how he ended up in this situation. He had been in the middle of packing his suitcase, getting ready for when he would be leaving for college next week, and suddenly Jean was in his house, on his bed, venting all his frustrations out to Armin of all people. If Armin had doubted there was a God before, he didn't now, because he was sure they were laughing at him.<p>

"So, he just left?" Armin asked, placing another neatly folded shirt into his suitcase. He was doing anything he could at this point to distract himself from the sharp curve of Jean's jaw and the hard muscles of his back and the overwhelming urge he had to reach out and smooth those lines marking his face. It wasn't working well.

"Yeah, just like that," Jean said, voice nearly trembling with rage. "He didn't even give me a chance to explain my side of the story."

"Are you guys going to be okay?" Armin asked, ignoring the small, traitorous part of his mind that was telling him that they could be doing far more….enjoyable things than discussing Jean's relationship woes.

"Hell if I know," Jean sighed, rubbing his temples. "You know how stubborn he is. Once he gets an idea in his head, it's nearly impossible to convince him otherwise."

"Give him some time to calm down, I'm sure he'll come around," Armin reassured, setting another one of his shirts in the suitcase and setting the entire thing aside. He knew he shouldn't- getting too close to Jean, especially right now, was dangerous, because he didn't trust that he wouldn't take things too far- but Jean just looked so _tired_. He couldn't resist the urge to comfort him in any way he could. Curse his natural empathy.

Jean was shaking his head, gripping his hair tight and pulling so hard on the strands Armin was was afraid he would pull them right out of his scalp. "I don't know, Armin," he whispered, and he sounded so defeated that Armin's heart started to ache as he placed a comforting hand on Jean's shoulder. "I don't know if we'll be able to come back from this one."

Armin cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely confused. "It's not like this is the first time you guys have ever fought, Jean. You always manage to come back before."

"But this time it's different," Jean insisted, dropping his hands into his lap and staring intensely at the floor. "Everyone knows we haven't been the same for a while now, but this time I felt it. We just don't…._work_ like we used to. It's not enough to just fuck like rabbits every time we have an argument anymore."

Armin blushed, embarrassment flowing through him; not because of Jean's language- he was friends with _Eren_, for pete's sake- but because he didn't feel at all comfortable imagining his best friend having crazy sex with the guy he happened to be in love with.

He took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm the distracting fluttering in his chest. "Just give him some time before you make any decisions," he said quietly, squeezing Jean's shoulder gently. "Don't give up on what you guys have just yet."

Jean nodded slowly, though he still wasn't looking at Armin. He seemed intent on burning a hole in Armin's floor with his stare. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Armin," he said, and then he was turning that intense gaze to him and it wasn't fair because how was he supposed to convince him to go to another man when he looked at him like that? When he looked so hopeful and gorgeous and Armin forgot everything but how soft his hair looked and how much he wanted to kiss those lips that were too close to his face.

To this day, Armin wasn't sure who kissed who first, but suddenly his hands were tangled in short, silky hair and his heart was racing in his ears and all he could think was that he never wanted this to end. Large, warm hands cupped his face so gently and lips captured his in a bruising embrace and Armin could only get lost in the sensations he was feeling.

He suppressed a shudder when he was pushed almost roughly onto his back, and he wrapped his arms around strong shoulders as he pulled Jean closer to him. A low groan sounded in Jean's throat, and he gripped at Armin's hips so hard that he was sure there would be bruises left behind. A wild thrill raced through his veins when Jean ground his hips down onto Armin's, and a high-pitched whine tore from his throat at the pleasure that pooled in his belly.

But, all too soon, everything was gone, and he could only blink his eyes dazedly, confused, not understanding why Jean was suddenly looking so panicked. Why was he backing towards the door, eyes wide and ragged breath rushing past bruised lips, when just a second ago he'd been kissing him senseless?

"Armin," Jean said, voice shaky as he gripped the door handle as if for dear life. "I-I'm _so _sorry. That wasn't- I didn't mean-" He couldn't seem to get any of the right words out, his thoughts too muddled- by the kiss or by the panic, Armin wasn't sure- so he settled on another shaky, "I'm sorry" before he turned tail and ran out the door.

And then Armin was left alone in his bedroom, sitting on his bed, and as he rose a hesitant hand to his lips, his rational mind finally caught up to him, and the overwhelming feeling of guilt that surged through him nearly crushed him.

Because he had just kissed his best friend's boyfriend.

* * *

><p>"Have you been growing your hair out?"<p>

Armin rolled his eyes in exasperation, because really, Eren never changed. "This is the first time we see each other in months, and that's what you ask me?"

"It's a valid question!" Eren protested.

Armin chuckled at his computer screen, showing Eren's pouting face glaring back at him. "Yes, Eren, I'm doing fine, thanks _so_ much for asking," he said sarcastically, making Eren stick his tongue out childishly at him in return. "And yes, I have been growing my hair out. Does is look okay?"

"I think it suits you," Eren shrugged, making Armin blush faintly, tugging at the strands of hair that now just barely brushed his shoulders. "I would cut my bangs if I were you, though. You're starting to look a bit like a sheep dog."

Armin laughed again, brushing his admittedly long bangs out of his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

"So, how is college life going for the great Armin Arlert?" Eren asked, a bit of a teasing smile on his face.

Armin mock-scowled at him, but Eren only smirked impishly back. He heaved a sigh, leaning forward in his chair and placing his forearms on the desk in front of his laptop. "Well, my classes are going great so far-"

"Naturally," Eren interrupted, smirking.

Armin made a face. "Let me finish," he said. Eren raised his hands placatingly, though he didn't look the least bit sorry, and Armin continued. "My classes are great so far, but college is….different from what I imagined, I guess."

"How so?" Eren asked.

"Well, I expected the classes to be more challenging than this."

Eren barked a laugh. "Only you would complain about classes not being hard enough."

"So how are things going for you, then?" Armin asked, swiftly changing the subject before Eren could get any more teasing in.

Eren shrugged, leaning back on his headboard. "Art classes were pretty much how I expected them to be. Professor Ral is really sweet, everybody likes her. The photography class is a lot more interesting than I expected it to be." Eren suddenly perked up, and Armin was amused by the abrupt change in mood. "But you'll never guess what happened in my art class the other day."

"Well, I know it has to be good to get you this excited," Armin said, chuckling at Eren's exuberance. "Go ahead, tell me."

"We're doing life drawing lessons, and Professor Ral brought in this gorgeous male model for us to practice on," Eren sighed, a dreamy expression coming over his face, and Armin knew what that meant. "Seriously, Armin, I think I'm in love."

"I thought you were still dating Jean?" Armin asked, skeptical.

"I didn't tell you?" Eren asked, looking confused when Armin shook his head. "Jean and I broke up before we all left for college. Something about us not working the way we used to." Everything about Eren's tone was offhanded, as if he didn't really care either way, but Armin could sense, in a way only someone who's really close to another person could, the underlying note of hurt in his voice.

Armin was taken aback by the news, and he tried to ignore the pang of guilt that stabbed at his heart when he remembered the kiss that they shared in his room. "But you guys always managed to work things out before! What happened?"

Eren shrugged a lazy shoulder, feigning boredom. Armin could see past it easily, though. "We just fell apart, I guess. We couldn't put up with the near constant fighting anymore."

Armin wasn't sure what to say to that other than, "I'm sorry," but he suspected that that would only piss Eren off. Eren hated being pitied, you see. So he just settled for, "Are you okay?"

Eren waved a hand dismissively, apparently shrugging the entire subject off. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Besides, I have a hot male model to keep me distracted."

"Do you even know his name?" Armin asked, raising a brow. Knowing Eren, he would have spent too much time drooling over the man to even get that much.

"Of course I do," Eren pouted, though he wasn't really offended. "It's Levi something. He's an old friend of Professor Ral's and he's coming back next week to model for another life drawing lesson."

"Make sure you don't let your fantasies about Levi get you too behind in your classes," Armin joked, and laughed when Eren squawked in indignation.

"You're a horrible friend, you know that?" Eren said. "I don't know why I put up with you."

Armin internally flinched, though he kept up a lighthearted facade on the outside as he said, "That's a lie and we both know it. Besides, without me around, you would fail all of your classes because you were too busy drooling over hot male models."

Eren flipped him off, and Armin was reduced to fits of giggles again. "Ha ha, laugh it up," Eren said, glaring playfully at his friend. "Speaking of classes, I have one to get to. Talk to you later?"

"All right," Armin said, wiping his tears out of his eyes. "Good luck."

Eren bid his goodbyes, and then his face was gone from Armin's screen. He could feel the lighthearted giddiness he felt while talking to his friend again after so long slowly dissipating, and in its place, a silent dread settled in the pit of his stomach. His conversation with Eren shouldn't have left him feeling like all the air had been knocked out of him, but it did, and he knew exactly why. Because he had quite possibly been the reason Eren and Jean broke up, and Eren didn't know.

Armin curled in on himself, feeling the crushing guilt building inside of him. "I really am a horrible friend."

* * *

><p>Armin pulled the scarf further up his face as he walked down the sidewalk, burying his hands in his pockets to protect from the winter chill. He silently thanked whatever Gods were listening that the coffee shop was only a few blocks down the road. It was unusually cold outside, and he didn't know if he would have been able to brave the walk otherwise.<p>

He pushed through the doors of the coffee shop, and sighed in relief when a blast of warm air swept over him. Unwinding the scarf around his neck, he ambled up to the (thankfully) empty counter and smiled at the barista before placing his usual order and paying the necessary money. After a little over a year of visiting the same place for coffee, he knew every one of the workers by name. Today, it was only Krista, a petite blonde woman who everyone adored.

"So, how's everything today?" Armin asked when Krista went about making his coffee, taking a seat on one of the stools and leaning casually against the counter.

"Everything's great, considering," Krista hummed. "I wish it weren't so cold out, though."

Armin nodded in agreement, before taking a look around the cafe. "Where's Ymir?"

"She called in sick today," Krista answered, topping off Armin's drink with whipped cream before placing it gently on the counter.

Armin tilted his head in confusion. "Sick? Ymir never gets sick. Is she okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine," Krista smiled, though it looked a bit strained, and Armin knew she was worried.

"Well, you know I'm here if you ever need anything," Armin reassured, smiling at her, and she nodded back in thanks.

The door jingled just as Armin got up to leave, signaling another customer, and when he turned around, he was suddenly captured by a pair of wide, brown eyes. Eyes that he hadn't seen since high school. Eyes that he never thought he'd see again, but were now the only things he could see.

"Armin," Jean breathed, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, either.

"Jean," Armin answered, his thoughts escaping him, just like they always did when he saw the other man. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Family reunion in the area," Jean said, still staring at Armin as he walked up to the counter next to him to place his order. "What are you still doing here? I would have thought you would be with Eren and Mikasa for Christmas."

Armin winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I couldn't make it. Besides, I have too many projects to catch up on."

Jean made a face. "During Christmas? I knew you were a workaholic, Arlert, but that's pushing it a bit."

Armin glowered, though there was no malice in it. "Says the man who was too busy making out with his boyfriend to pay attention during any of his classes." Now, why did he have to go and say that?

Something passed through Jean's eyes, then, but he turned away to take his drink from Krista before he could place what it was. "I take it Eren told you that we broke up?"

Armin looked away. "Yeah, he did."

Jean nodded, taking a tentative sip of the hot cocoa in his hand. He seemed torn for a bit, before he blurted, "Why don't I walk you back to your dorm? I know you said you have a lot of work to catch up on, and I don't really have anywhere to be right now."

"Oh, no, you really don't have to," Armin insisted, though it was really more because he didn't want to be alone with Jean over any sense of modesty.

Jean waved a hand dismissively. "It's no trouble. It's just down the street, right?"

Armin hesitated, his own feelings warring with his need to be polite. He didn't want to seem like he was being rude by rejecting Jean's offer, but the last time they had talked to each other, well…. But it wasn't like they were really going to be alone together, he reasoned. Finally, he gave in and nodded.

Jean's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and Armin refused to acknowledge the tiny flame of hope that flared to life when Jean looked at him like that. Rewrapping his scarf around his neck to hide the blush that was suddenly coloring his cheeks, he picked up his drink and followed Jean back out into the frigid air.

The walk back to Armin's dorm was long and more than slightly awkward. He could tell that Jean was glancing over at him every now and then, when he felt like Armin wasn't looking, and Armin fought off his own urges to look back. He knew that if he dared to glance at Jean now, he would be captivated by the sharp angle of his jawline, the shaggy hair that had gotten slightly longer, the long eyelashes that framed beautiful brown eyes…. and Armin really needed to stop thinking now.

Jean took another small sip of his drink before clearing his throat. "I told him, you know."

Armin almost tripped over his feet as he looked over at Jean. "What?"

"Eren," he said, not looking over at Armin. "I, uh, told him. About the kiss, I mean."

Dread spread like ice in his veins, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe, let alone speak. When he finally got control over his vocal cords again, he forced out a slightly raspy, "When?"

"A little while after we broke up, I guess," he answered, finally venturing to look back over at Armin, and there was such hesitance in his gaze. "I figured he should know. I take it he never told you he knew?"

Armin nearly dropped his drink, he was so shocked. He suddenly thought back to all of those times since starting college that he and Eren had talked, and how Eren had been so perfectly normal. And then Armin had to laugh, because really, why would he ever expect Eren to hate him for something so stupid? It was ridiculous.

Jean was looking at Armin nervously. "Uh, so I take it that you're okay?"

Armin waved him off, still chuckling softly. "Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking about how Eren is a really great friend."

Jean smiled wistfully, attempting to hide it behind his drink as he took another sip. "Yeah, he kinda is."

Armin nodded as they came up to his dorm. "So, it was really nice seeing you again, Jean," Armin said, turning back to the man to give him a small smile. And it really had been, all things considered.

Jean smiled in return, nodding his head. "You, too. I'm hoping we can still keep in touch?"

Armin's eyes widened, but then he smiled, and it was almost blinding. "Yeah, I would love that."

And it wasn't until later, after they had exchanged phone numbers and made promises to text each other and Armin had retreated to the comfort of his dorm room, that he let the overwhelming blush heat his face, and suddenly it wasn't so cold anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>So, how was that? Not too bad, I hope. . This fic took a <em>lot<em> longer than I thought it would, and...kind of took a life of it's own somewhere near the middle, so it's not quite how I first imagined it. But hopefully, that's not too much of a bad thing. But don't hesitate to tell me what you think! :) I'd love to hear you guys have to say. ^-^**


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